Signs and Symptoms of Drug Use

Physical appearance changes: Sudden weight loss or gain, poor personal hygiene, or unusual body or clothing odors. Unsteady walking (difficulty walking in a straight line), poor coordination, and slurred speech. Some substances may also cause visible signs such as injection marks, burns on the lips or fingers from smoking drugs, or damage to the nose from snorting substances such as cocaine.

Eyes & Sleep: Red or glazed eyes, dilated or constricted pupils, and significant changes in sleep patterns (insomnia or oversleeping).

Physical Health: Unexplained shakes, slurred speech, or poor physical coordination.

Physical health deterioration: Increased susceptibility to infections, frequent colds and flu, chronic fatigue, unexplained nausea and vomiting, and persistent cough or respiratory problems, especially those related to smoking drugs. It may also include significant changes in sleep patterns such as insomnia, oversleeping, or disrupted sleep cycles.

Changes in eating habits: Significant fluctuations in appetite, marked decrease in food intake, and irregular eating patterns, along with strong cravings for certain foods such as sweets, often associated with substance use.

Social Withdrawal: Dropping old friends for a new group, or withdrawing from family activities and hobbies.

Academic/Work Performance: Sudden decline in grades, frequent absences, or loss of interest in school or work.

Social withdrawal and isolation: avoiding friends and being evasive, withdrawing from social activities and events, and experiencing tension in relationships with others.

Secrecy: Acting suspiciously, locked doors, or being overly private about whereabouts and phone calls.

Possession of drug paraphernalia such as syringes, pipes for drug use, aluminum foil, small plastic bags for storing drugs, and small spoons often showing burn marks. These items are often found hidden among personal belongings in suspicious ways.

Financial difficulties, including an unexplained need for money, repeated borrowing from friends and family, theft of money or valuable items, selling personal belongings, unexplained financial losses, and accumulating debt.

Sudden changes in personality and mood, including unexplained anger, anxiety, or panic attacks, as well as paranoia, suspicion, and social withdrawal or isolation. It may also include signs of depression such as loss of interest in activities and feelings of hopelessness, along with apathy and low motivation. Noticeable mood swings can also occur, including periods of euphoria followed by severe depression, as well as impulsive behavior.

Engaging in risky behaviors such as reckless driving and driving under the influence of drugs, sharing needles, and involvement in criminal activities such as theft, trafficking, and drug dealing to support substance use, as well as lying and manipulating others.